1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to agricultural means of and methods for planting a second crop behind a first crop or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common in many areas of the world to plant a second agricultural crop such as soybeans behind a first agricultural crop such as wheat immediately following the harvesting of the first crop or the like. It is also known to cut the residue of the first crop into relatively small parts or shreds and to till or mix these cut portions of the first crop into the field or to use these cut portions of the first crop as a mulch over the field, etc. A flail-type cutting implement for performing this task is disclosed by Brady, U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,433. It is also common to plant the second crop utilizing no-till type planters such as disclosed by Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,956. Heretofore, if one desired to utilize the residue of the first crop as a mulch and to plant the second crop with a no-till type planter, the method consisted of first going over the field with a cutting implement such as disclosed by the above identified Brady patent and leaving the cut portions of the first crop on the surface of the field as a mulch, and then subsequently pulling a no-till type planter such as described by the above identified Moore patent over the field with the cut portion of the first crop lying thereon as a mulch. While such a method has certain advantages over the method of first tilling the residue of the first crop into the field prior to the no-till type planter being pulled thereover to plant the second crop, it does create certain problems relative to the accurate and positive placement of the planted seed of the second crop and any herbicide or the like to be applied due to the layer of mulch resting on the field.
A preliminary patentability search in class 111, subclasses 2, 6 and 7, and class 56, subclasses 12.7 and 504 revealed the following U.S. patents, in addition to the above identified Brady and Moore patents: Myers, U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,054; Henson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,729; Cox. U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,293; Sylvester, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,262; and Mellinger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,674. None of the above patents disclose or suggest the present invention.